Sgt. Vida Henry of I Company

This much is known, he was proud of his men:
dependable, brave, the marines of their day,
Buffalo Soldiers who fought at San Juan Hill,
and led to the top.
When sent to Texas to prepare for France,
they faced their own enemy-the law of Jim Crow.
Tension grew to the boiling point and men took guns.
Sgt Henry stood among them, shouting orders to keep order-
one man in the flow.
a searching heart caught in a war more deep seated than the Western front
wracked with the torment of a trust unwired,
the indescriminant retribution of justice undone,
Death to white (18)
Death to black (4)
Sgt. Vida felt the pain of all,
the country's pain that fell upon him:
his unit had failed.
he had failed
his country had failed.
It was reported that he shot himself
at the spilling of blood
he spilled his own
No white men were tried in any court.
Jim Crow never took the stand
150 men were tried in the longest courts martial ever.
29 men were given life sentences.
18 men were hung in disgrace.
Sgt Vida Henry was soon forgotton.

by Bill Phillips